Stars shine for pavilion opening
Football stars from the past were in Bingham at the weekend to mark the official opening of a long-awaited sports pavilion.
Derby County manager Nigel Clough cut the ribbon on Saturday with Rushcliffe’s MP Mr Ken Clarke to open the facility on Butt Field.
A host of former Nottingham Forest stars took to the field the following day to play a Bingham team.
The pavilion is the centrepiece of a redevelopment of Butt Field, which is used by hundreds of footballers and cricketers.
Mr Clough said: “This is a fantastic facility and a beautiful building.
“It will be great for children and it is great that it is being used by three different clubs in the adult and youth football clubs and the cricket club.”
He said such facilities were vital in giving youngsters a sporting chance.
“So many things are changing now with need — the need for separate changing facilities and such. When you build from scratch you can build all that in,” he said.
Mr Clarke said it was a privilege to be there to recognise the hard work that had gone into the project.
He said: “This facility is positively palatial. There are a lot of pitches and a lot of young people will benefit by being able to play here.”
The £750,000 project has created the pavilion, three 11-a-side football pitches and a training area.
The Football Foundation provided £400,000 and Bingham Town Council £200,000, with the remainder coming from grants and fundraising.
The Mayor of Bingham, Mrs Maureen Stockwood, said: “This is the result of good cooperation between all groups involved. It has taken a long time but it was well worth the wait.”
The chairman of Bingham Town Youth Football Club, Mr Steve McRobie, said the opening was a key moment in the town’s sporting history.
He said the pavilion represented ten years of hard work and thanked the volunteers who worked to see the project through, and all those that had given money.
Around 1,000 people attended.
Sunday’s match between Bingham All-stars and the Forest Legends ended 7-3 to the former professionals.
The former Forest players included Ian Woan, Jason Lee, Nigel Jemson, Lee Glover, Gary Mills and Bryn Gunn.
Mr McRobie said: “It was a fantastic weekend. Everything went according to plan. The weather was superb.”
“It was absolutely packed. We weren’t expecting quite so many people.”
The chairman of Butt Field Sports Club, Mr Pete Kennedy, said the match also attracted people from out the town.
He thanked the players for attending and the sports club members who worked hard to make the weekend a success.
